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Provo school still under construction at start of school year

Posted at 7:29 PM, Aug 14, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-15 09:18:04-04

PROVO, Utah — Some children will start school Tueday but for those students headed to Edgemont Elementary School in Provo, their school will still be under construction.

Edgemont started construction of the new school last summer. But construction was delayed, according to Provo School District spokesman Kalib Price.

“When we first went out to bid on this project, the inflation on construction was really high, so the bids came in extremely over budget,” said Price. “We had to take some time to do some value engineering. That process delayed everything a little bit. They’ve been scrambling to get things ready for school. They are very close; they have all the classroom areas ready. The hallways, the offices are all completed.”

The only areas that are not ready are some outdoor areas, the cafeteria, the gym and the library/media center.

“They will handle gym classes, PE classes outside, lunch will be handled outside,” said Price. “We have canopies and tents to eat under. If there is really bad weather, we can use classrooms for lunches indoors. The media center - the librarians will be coming to the classrooms for activities until the libraries open up. It should be a very minimal disruption to what the students normally experience. They will mostly be eating in a different area.”

The school should be complete by late September.

The school principal Gaye Gibbs sent this letter to parents:

Dear Parents and Students:

I am excited for the new school year and our new school! I want to give you an update on the building. We will be ready for the first day of school, on August 15th.

The building, with the exception of the Cafetorium and Media Center, will be usable on the first day of school. The anticipated completion of the Cafetorium and Media Center will be the end of September. Edgemont will be offering breakfast and lunch outside, in the back of the building, until the Cafetorium is complete. The students will have choice in what they eat, perhaps up to 3 or 4 choices. If there is bad weather, the district has purchased a large tarp to cover the eating area so the students won’t get wet. The librarian plans to go class to class to provide library time. PE will be outside until the middle of September. We will all need to have patience as the contractors are finishing the building. You can be assured that children safety will be top priority, as always. It is a beautiful building and one that will serve our students well.

The main driveway to the front of the school and the parking lot will be paved and ready to be used when school starts. The hard scape playground areas behind the school should also be finished for the start of school. However, the fields to the west of the building and other grassy areas will be completed later this fall.

We will be having back-to-school night on Monday, August 14th, from 4:00-6:00 pm. This will be an opportunity for you and your children to find their classrooms and meet their teachers. We will have signs that night that will help guide you in finding classrooms. This will also be a time to familiarize yourself with the new drop off/pick up areas of the school.

This is my 36th year of being an educator and I love what I do. I look forward to working with you as we educate your children. We have a beautiful new building, but it will require patience on everyone’s part until the building is completed. I appreciate your help in this matter.

Please feel free to contact me if you have questions.

Gaye